Occupied with what Other People are Occupied with, and Vice Versa

Despite the fact that the title is a line from a Built To Spill song, it also serves as a pretty good definition of 'journalism', don't you think?
The Bee and I spend a bit too much time, here in our exile on Killin' Street, looking at stupid shit on the internet. But it's great too, I suppose, since each and every morning we examine what's what with the media, and the world. Since neither of us have anywhere to go on most days, this means we get to watch stories develop from tiny shoots to massive saplings.

But that's not what's important. I've mentioned before the special hell that is the 'Living' section of our local paper, and how I just can't think of where else one would ever see the following headlines:
Coffee Tables Are Able Tables (tha winnah!)
Sunglasses Have It Made In The Shade (not only not News, but deeply retarded)
BAAA-UTIFUL! Speedy Shawls
Frisbee, 50, Still Makes Disc-iples

Yep, all that and "Ask Amy" too. It's great. But one must remember: these are the minds that brought you abortions like the word 'Brangelina', and for that matter, the notion that a book by the widow of a journalist killed in Afghanistan should then be made into a movie that largely celebrates not only how wonderful said widow is, but also how wonderful Angelina Jolie is for being in the movie treatment thereof.
Woof. That was quite the sentence. But really; even the whole 'The News Has Gone To Hell' story has now become boring. I see increasing amounts of media figures writing that particular screed, and while it has the virtue of being true, I must, as always, Blame The Parents, which is to say: And whose fault would that be, you fucking whiners?

I like Dum Nooz (patent pending) as much as anyone: I get my news from Wonkette and Slate, pretty much, with the BBC running a diiiistant third. And the Mayor Beaver blog (Okay; Blogtown PDX is what it is, and has always been called): I don't really get news as such, I get gossip and infighting. Do I join in? Yes, yes I do.
It's not like I'm protesting much here: whenever journalists start talking about Public Service, I always narrow my eyes. And this too: that perhaps this is just the reasonably expected happening. The English language is mutating further and further into what appears to be slang, so goes the Fourth Estate, yeah? The industry that uses Language and Perception as their main means of production start to mirror the minds of their customers?
Much like 'Fourthmeal' at Taco Bell isn't an indication of hunger; it's evidence that you're drunk, but it's hard to delineate that in the moment.

Then there's the fact that a small cottage industry has sprung up around our very worst comic strips. It's not enough, for instance, that "For Better or For Worse" is inarguably terrible and mostly serves as a roadmap for Lynn Johnston's increasing neurosis, but the fact that exactly how horrible and why is debated extensively on The Comics Curmudgeon, and there are several blogs devoted specifically to it.
It's wonderful. It's stupid. We all apparently have a lot of time on our hands.

Not sure what I'm talking about, really. Blogging is stupid, and more and more people seem to be doing it, which is leading to a sort of Gresham's Law effect where less and less people are reading the damn things.
I certainly get less random traffic from people around the world than I once did, but that could be a lot of things: I often go long periods without writing anything in this space because while most people use these things as online diaries, I only sometimes view that as a good idea. So if I don't have some larger point to make, I try to avoid the diarizing.
So I guess I'm writing something to keep the mind limber, and the Saturday NYT crossword is only reminding me how hungover I am.

Tonight: the first meeting of The Golden HoAxe Committee! News to follow.